Triathlete Affected by Hurricane Harvey Finds Hope

The email came on Monday August 28th saying that the Baxter family had 15 minutes to evacuate their Kingwood, Texas apartment (in Northeast Houston). Ninety minutes into a three hour trainer ride, Jessica Baxter and her family had no idea the water had risen so quickly outside. "Everyone on the first floor was urged to evacuate immediately. I jumped off the bike and ran to the family (her two boys 10 and 13 and her husband Kevin)." They all grabbed backpacks and loaded them up with what we could find, leashed up the dog, and off they went.

This time last year, now 42-year-old Jessica Baxter was in the final stretch of her IRONMAN World Championship training while continuing to earn $40,000 serving as an ambassador for Women for Tri Now, her family was told to leave everything behind and get to safety.

Just two weeks ago, her husband was laid off, and a health scare had also rocked their family. With a 4-5 foot river of water all around them, rescue kayaks led them around the corner to spot 1. "We had no idea how bad it had gotten," Baxter said.

A sheriff's hover boat led them to spot 2. "We had the option of waiting for the dump truck from there or walking through shallower waters up the hill and out," Baxter recalls. They decided to walk, shivering, and shaking from fear and cold. "It was all happening so quickly." Jessica's father, visibly shaken and wet from the rain that continued to fall, met them to take them 3.5 miles to their house on higher land.

"It’s just stuff yes, but it was the life we created."

Drone pictures showed Baxter's car completely underwater except the very top of the roof. The first floor of the building could hardly be seen. She posted on Facebook what she saw, along with her honest feelings: "This afternoon has been an emotional one. Feeling a bit lost right now. These feelings will come and go in the coming weeks I'm sure."

In June 2014, the family sold their 5,000 square foot home and moved into a temporary apartment in Kingwood. "Not long before we sold the house, the economy was tough. My husband’s business was suffering. We decided to downsize before things got worse." As time went on in the apartment, they realized how much lower stress it was than owning a home. "It meant more freedom to travel and freedom to be more charitable with our time and money," recalled Baxter.

But now, it sunk in that most of what was inside their apartment was probably gone—including her bike and all her IRONMAN finisher medals. "Our favorite and most expensive pieces were kept for the apartment. The boys kept their favorite toys and books. It was devastating, a roller coaster of emotions. I was feeling strong one minute and then later in tears—it’s just stuff yes, but it was the life we created," she said.

Baxter did pack her running gear in her evacuation bag (you don't need much to go for a run, she noted). Since 2010, triathlon had become a staple in her life—something that brought a shy girl out of her shell. It built confidence in her and brought her to a place where she knew she was meant to help others.

Her bike and gear now most likely destroyed from Hurricane Harvey, Baxter grabbed on to what she could. "Please know that this was the least of my worries with all going on. Yes I was sad, but my family and their wellbeing was more important. Only when I had too much time to think was it starting to really bother me."

Tuesday morning, she went out and ran a few miles, a return to a bit of routine when around her was utter chaos. "Exercise is my medicine, my distraction and my comfort." She told her coach to keep things as routine as possible: "My coach asked me how I was doing and if I needed anything," she said. "Yes, I need you to keep my plan coming. I can’t swim, bike, or run on the treadmill, but I can run outside and for that I’m grateful. She set me up with three days of run work. Something to focus on and keep my mind calm."

As a coach herself, she also told her athletes they could depend on her. "All my coached athletes kept telling me not to worry about them. I insisted they keep notifying me of all their workouts. I was living vicariously through them and seeing their success was keeping me going."

Out on her run, she saw the hurricane devastation first hand; she heard the sounds of sirens and helicopters echoing around her. "There are many times in our lives where we may ask the question 'why me.' I remember a few life changing moments where I asked this question. [...] Over time, I've changed my question to 'why not me?' We are not immune to anything. Even the good."

The next morning, Baxter and her husband spent over three hours helping unload people from boats and walking them to helicopters or to medical attention. She described the scene as surreal more like something out of a movie. "People coming in with just their boxers on, elderly in wheel chairs, and many people with no shoes or barely any belongings," she said.

"Dig deep to find the positive," she said. "It doesn’t mean the suffering goes completely away, you just try to find a way to bring good out of a tragedy. It usually involves helping others."

Most people were shivering and in a state of shock. It was relatively quiet except for the pounding rain, boat noise, and helicopters flying people out to safety. She tells stories of a coast guard member carrying an old crippled man in a blanket with no shoes on shivering, the water up to the guard’s waist. She tells of a shaken fawn who was in shock. With its feet bound to keep it from kicking (and escaping), Baxter kept it warm with blankets. "I kept reflecting on how similar we both were, homeless, lost, and scared." (A local vet took the fawn to a hospital to be monitored for a few nights before being released into the wild.)

Waking up Wednesday, Baxter went for another run and made it a half mile from the apartment. Waters receding, she called her husband who met her to wade through the last few hundred yards of water to their place. The tears flowed as they got closer and continued to see the destruction. "We make our way to the front door," she said on her Facebook post. "Oh my. No words. Everything is flipped over. Destroyed. Inches of mud layered on top of everything. The smell is intense."

They only allowed themselves a short amount of time inside to assess the damage. They broke down doors and pried open others. As they entered the master bedroom, the bed had moved and was almost tipped over. But Baxter's bike sat still in the trainer just as she had left it. Her son's homemade Spiderman blanket from grandma was intact. Her other son's iPad and headphones still working. "Wow. Just wow. In the wake of all that was destroyed....more hope of holding on to a little bit of our old life. My heart is happy," she posted on Facebook.

As the flood waters continue to recede, the Baxter family is beginning to pick up the pieces and keep moving forward. They plan to visit local shelters in the area to help feed and comfort those that don’t have a place to go. Baxter is going to stay in contact with an officer friend on areas she knows are most in need. Baxter herself is CERT trained (Community Emergency Response Team), and may find a family or two that she can monitor closely and help work through the process of rebuilding.

Safe and feeling blessed in their temporary home, time is now being spent filling out insurance claims and applying for FEMA assistance. "The priority is to get the kids to their first day of school," Baxter says. "Get them back to gymnastics. Get them a routine and with friends and living life again."

Baxter is grateful to all those who have stepped up to help her family rebuild. To help the Baxter family, head to gofundme.com/jessicanbaxter.